Adjustable cell-case or partition machine



y 1937- w. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR 'PARTITION MACHINE Filed Spt. l8. 1935 12 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE May 11, 1937. w. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

I ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE V v Filed Sept. 18, 1935 12 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

A TTORNE Y.

y 1937. w. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE C-ELL CASE 0R PARTITION MACHINE- Filed Sept. 18, 1935 l2 SheetsSheet 3 A TTORNE Y y 1937. w. E. JENSEN. 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1935 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

71% Z LMK A TTORNE Y.

BY %%;.M a

May 11, 1937.

W. E. JENSEN ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1955 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 I NI 'ENTORI y 1937- 'w. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1935 IZ Shee tS-Sheet 6 [NI "EN TOR Wff M y 11, 1937. w. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE CE LL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1935 12 Sheets-Sheet '7 Q I I 1 F I N QT g A...

l NV EN TORI 1937. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1935 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 m D- 2 z65 l i' I 3J1 ;l I 260 r INVENTOR:

BY 74 22. ff

ATTORNEY.

May 11, 1937.

FIG l no we W. E. JENSEN ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTIT ION MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Sept. 18, 1935 FIG 22 Fave!- we I85 INVENTOR.

P m BY gambit/Wan ffim g ATTORNEY.

y 1, 3 w. E. JENSEN 2,080,357

ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE 0R PARTITION MACHINE MZYM A TTORNE Y.

11, 1937; w. E. JENSEN ADJUSTABLE CELL CASE OR PARTITION MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Sept. 18, 1955' 15 2 2 M *2 N: Q8

an: m3

m2 RNL LLU n M Mm mm 5------ MS K W mm wq I 'INVENTORI A TTORNEY.

May 11, 1937.

W. E. JENSEN ADJUSTABLE CELL CQASE on PARTITION MACHINE Filed se i. 1a, 1935 12, Sheets-Sheet l2 INVENTOR.

fi' ffm- M ATTORNEY.

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,080,357 ADJUSTABLE CELL-CASE OR. PARTITION MACHINE Walter E. Jensen, Chicago, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to F. J. Kress Box Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation. of Pennsylvania Application September 18, 1935, Serial No. 41,118

19 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for manufacturing structures of heavy paper stock or similar material comprising strips crossing and interlocked with each other; and, it has for its object to produce a simple and novel machine adapted to be easily adjusted to produce structures varying widely as to the number, the spacing and the height of the strips of which they are composed.

Machines of this general type are composed of various mechanisms and groups of mechanisms, each serving a definite purpose; and, as these mechanisms in my improved machine in themselves contain features of novelty, the invention may, in some aspects, be regarded as having for some of its objects the creation of improved mechanisms capable of more general uses although particularly adapted for use in cell case machines or the like.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are, respectively, side views and a front or end view of a machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal section, on a larger scale, showing only a part of the machine; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing, more or less diagrammatically, the making and the assembly of two sets of strips, three in each set; Fig. 6 is a vertical, longitudinal section through the punch apparatus for punching the sheet that travels horizontally through the machine; Fig. 7 is a section, on line 7-1 of Fig. 6, parts being broken away; Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 7, showing only the punch and a fragment of its support; Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the plunger element of the punch; Fig. 10 is an elevation, on a larger scale than Fig. 1, of the parts that reciprocate the rack bar which drives one end of the upper feed rollers; Fig. 11 is a section on line HI| of Fig. 10, a fragment of the frame of the machine being shown; Fig. 12 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section, illustrating the mechanism for sawing notches in the edges of the vertically-. w

'- to Fig. 12, showing only a fragment of one of the ribbon holders or guides, with a ribbon therein, and a fragment of the saw with dotted lines showing the paths of the saw teeth during a stroke of the saw; Fig. 15 is a section on line l5--l5 of Fig. 14; Fig. 16 is a vertical section, on a plane extending lengthwise of the machine, through the shearing means cutting pieces off the lower ends of the vertically-movable ribbons and the adjacent guiding and feeding means; Fig. 1'7 is a view that is in part a section on line l'|--l'l of Fig. 16 and in part an elevation of the structure shown in the latter figure; Figs. 18, 19 and 20 are bottom plan views of the shears and the operating bar therefor, appearing in Figs. 16 and 17, illustrating different positions of the parts; Fig. 21 is a section on line 2I-2l of Fig. 20; Fig. 22 is a plan view of the securing means for the pins that hold the movable shear blade of Figs. 16-21 against the stationary shear member and guide it in its movements; Fig. 23 is a rear elevation of a fragment of the nest of powerdriven spindles to which the little feed rollers in Figs. 16 and 17 are connected or adapted to be connected; Fig. 24 is a section, on a larger scale, on line i i-24 of Fig. 23; Fig. 25 is an elevation .of a fragment of the structure shown in Fig. 24, showing a flexible shaft connected to one of the spindles shown in Fig. 24 and a second flexible shaft partially connected to the other of the spindles; Fig. 26 is a view of the shaft for the driven upper feed roll, showing the immediate driving means which, at one end of the shaft, appears in elevation, and at the other end, where there is a clutch, is in section; Fig. 27 isa section, on a larger scale, on line 21-21 of Fig. 26, through the clutch, only a fragment of the clutch being shown; Fig. 28 is a plan view of the inner end of the clutch shifting bar. present in Figs. 26 and 27, showing in full and dotted lines the relation between the bar and the pin actuated thereby in the on and o positions, respectively; Fig. 29 is a section, on a larger scale, on line 29-49 of Fig. 1, showing the driving means for the controller for the shears that sever the vertically-fed ribbons and the controller for the clutch associated with the upper feed rolls; Fig. 30 is a view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, of the controllers to which reference has just been made; Fig. 31 is a section on line 31-31 of Fig. 30, showing only the bar for actuating the shears and the actuator for the bar; Fig. 32 is a view similar to Fig. 31, with the parts in different positions, however; Fig. 33 maybe said to be a section on line 3l--3I of Fig.- 30, showing only the clutch-controlling devices;

. to below the sheet.

Fig. 34 is a bottom plan view of the disk or wheel 7 appearing in Figs. 31-33; Fig. 35 is a top plan view of the peripheral block or dog, shown on the wheel in Fig. 33, removed from the wheel; and Fig. 36 is a view similar to Fig. 35, showing another form of block or dog.

The machine which I have illustrated is'of the type adapted to operate on two sheets of heavy paper stock which are progressively fed andworked until theymeet and are interlocked. Usually in such machines one of the sheets travels horizontally and is slit into. longitudinals that are set on edge; while the other sheet is fed downward from above and is consumed by cutting narrow transverse strips, one at a time, from the advance end. In my improved machine, this situation is reversed, the horizontally-travelling material remaining in sheet form except as transverse strips are severed from the advance end, while the other sheet is divided into ribbons which are fed downward across the path of the horizontal sheet. Thus, as best shown in Fig. 5, there is a horizontal sheet A which is fed forward, step by step, and provided with punched holes, a, during its progress; and there is a second sheet B which enters at the top of the machine, travels forward a short distance while being slit longitudinally into ribbons C, which are then twisted through angles of ninety degrees and fed downward in paths at right angles to the plane of the sheet A. Notehes c are cut into the rear edges of the ribbons and the advance end.- of the sheet- A is forced into these notches. After the advance end of the sheet A has seated itself in the notches 5 in the ribbons, a'transverse cut is made across the sheet A to sever therefrom a strip D. These cuts are so .placed as to come along the forward ends of a transverse row of holes, a, and thus con- 7 vert these holes into notches opening out through the forward edge of the sheet. The notches in the sheet A are so spaced that each registers with one of the ribbons C. After a suficient number of strips D have been engaged with the ribbons,

' the interlocked sections E of the ribbons are cut off, thus producing a product composed of one or more strips E and one or more strips D. The various mechanisms of which the machine is composed are mounted on a suitable heavy 'frame which may be said roughly to consist of a hollow lower or base member I, and an upper member 2 taking more or less the form of an inverted U.

The mechanisms operating on the sheet A are best shown in Fig. 4. Referring to this figure, 3 represents a suitable horizontal table at the rear end of the machine, over which table the sheet passes, through edge-trimming means. The edgetrimming means are shown as comprising a transverse roller 4 above the sheet and cutter disks 5 Each cutter disk is rotatably mounted on the end of a lever 6 pivoted, between its ends, as at l, to a short arm 8 fixed to and radiating from a transverse rock shaft 9. The arm 8 may be part of a bracket having a second, longer arm Ill. Between the arm I0 andthe lever Sis a compression spring I2. Fixed to the shaft 9 is a toothed segment I3 meshing with a worm I4 on a longitudinal shaft I5 having thereon, at the rear end of the machine, a hand wheel I6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By turning the hand wheel in one direction, the cutter disks are pressed against the roller 4, being yieldingly held there by the springs I2. Either of the cutters, if there are only two trimming cut- II ters, or any one of them, if there are 134 .1? than.

two, may be swung back into an idle position by grasping the lower end of its lever 6 and swinging the lever in a direction to compress the corresponding spring. By turning the hand wheel in the opposite direction, both or all of the cut- 1 ter disks are swung away from the cooperating roller.

From the trimming mechanism the sheet travels over the bed I1 of a punch unit mounted on top of the base member I of the frame behind the upright frame member for sliding movements from and toward the latter. Above the bed I1 is the vertically-movable cross beam of the punch apparatus. From the punch, where are punched the elongated holes, a, as will hereinafter be explained, the sheet passes along to and between a pair of transverse feed rolls I9 and 20 mounted between the two rear portions of the upright sections of the frame member 2. From the feed rolls the sheet passes under a heavy transverse bar or beam 22 carrying the stationary cutting blade 23 of a shearing means; the cooperating blade 24 lying below the plane of the sheet and at an angle of about forty-five degrees with respect thereto. Themovable shear blade 24 is fixed upon a heavy cross bar or beam 25 which is movable bodily in a plane extending upwardly and forwardly at an angle of forty-five degrees to the plane of the sheet; whereby the cutting edge at the top of the movable blade cooperates with the shearing edge along the bottom of the stationary blade to sever a strip from the advance end'of the sheet A, whenever the movable blade makes an upward stroke.

The punch mechanism is driven from a transverse-shaft 26 from which, together with a second parallel main shaft 21, all of the moving parts receive their power. The shaft 26 has thereon a large gear wheel 28 shown as meshing with a pinion 29 of a well known type of drive mechanism 30 operated by a power input shaft 32; and there is on the shaft 26 a second gear wheel 33 meshing with a similar wheel 34 on the second main shaft 21. Therefore the two main shafts rotate in opposite directions but at the same speed, whenever the machine is running. Two eccentric rods, 35 and 36, one shown in Fig. 4 and the other in Fig. 7, extend from eccentrics 31 on the main shaft 26 to the vertically-movable upper member I8 of the punch unit, whereby the punches are moved up .and down once during each revolution of this main shaft. Be-

cause the punch unit is adjustable longitudinally of the machine, it is desirable that the .eccentric rods be adjustable lengthwise to compensate for the shifting of the rods occasioned by suchadjustments. In the arrangement shown, as best seen-in Fig. I; each eccentric rod is connected to the movable punch unit member I8 by a pin 38 having thereon an eccentric 39. By turningthis pin the axis of the eccentric 39 may be moveda limited distance from or toward the main shaft 26.

The means for bodily adjusting the punch unit is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It will be seen that the bed member I! has flange-like foot members 40 resting on top of and slidable along the side walls of the hollow base I. In the top of each of these side walls is a T slot 42 parallel to the longitudinal center line of the machine.

The heads of bolts 43, passing through the flanges 40, are slidably engaged in the slots 42. When the nuts 44 on the upper ends of the bolts are tightened the flanges are clamped securely to the main frame member I. Fixed upon the tops of the side walls of the main frame are rack bars arranged beside and parallel to the slots 42. The bed I! of the punch unit has a transverse rotatable shaft 46 provided with pinions 4'! meshing with the rack bars 45. After the nuts 44 have been loosened, the shaft 46 may be turned by a hand wheel 48 or the like,-shown in Fig. 1, and the punch unit-be shifted bodily lengthwise of the machine.

The punching elements that actually out out the material from the paper stock to produce the elongated holes may be, in the main, similar to those heretofore used, comprising lower stationary die members and upper reciprocable punches, each individually adjustable crosswise of the machine; the die blocks having properly shaped slots into which reciprocable punches .are adapted to enter. In accordance with my invention, I provide certain improvements which make it possible for the same dies and punches to be used in punching holes of any desired lengths within comparatively wide limits. To this end, as best' shown in Figs. 6-9, I make the slots in the die blocks 49 as long as the longest hole which is to be punched during the use of the machine; the length of the hole that actually is punched at any given time being determined by the cooperating punch. The holes, a, are shown as being long, narrow slots enlarged at one end' into a triangular shape, and the slots 50 in the dies are of similar shape. The punch devices are not simple plungers but composite structures each shown as being composed of a block 52 held up against the under face of the bar or beam 18 by two fastenings, one of which is simply a screw 53 and the other a cutting or punching bar 54I The punching bar extends freely down through the block 52 to a point considerably below the latter. The projecting lower end 55 of the punching bar is fashioned into an effective punch of the proper cross section efficiently to cooperate with the enlarged end of the die opening to cut out of the stock the enlarged end of one of the slot-like holes, a. The bar 54 has aslot 56 extending through the same at some distance above the lower end and, slidably fitting this slot is along blade 51. The block 52 has a deep, narrow groove 58'cut into the same from below to receive the upper part of the blade 51.

The upper end of the punch 54 is screw-threaded, as indicated at 59, and has thereon a nut 60. Withthe blade 51in position, the tightening of the nut 80 causes the blade to be drawn up and clamped in the block 52, and the block to be clamped to the beam 18. The blade 51 is just thin enough to enterone of the slots 50 and is preferably somewhat longer than the slot. The parts are, of course, so proportioned that the blade registers exactly with the slot in the corresponding die when clamped in place. The parts arefurther so proportioned that the lower edge of the blade 51, which is the cutting edge, forms an acute angle with a horizontal plane. The result is that only that part of the cutting edge of the blade projecting to the right from the punch 55, as viewed in Figs. 6 and 8, can enter the die opening; so that the length of the slotlike hole to be punched in the'work will depend on the extent of the projection of the blade from the punch, and the same blade will serve to help' out long or short holes. I

It is desirable that the blade members of all of the punch devices be simultaneously adjust able. I have therefore provided the blades 51 with rack teeth 62 along their upper edges and have perforated the blocks 52 at the tops of the grooves therein for the reception of a long transverse shaft 63 whose cross-sectional contour is that of a pinion adapted to mesh with the rack teeth on one of the blades. The punch bars are shown as having cap nuts 64 on their upper ends to limit the distance through which the blades can' be lowered by simply loosening the nuts 60, and thus prevent the rack teeth on the blades from becoming accidentally disengaged from the toothed shaft 63 when the nuts are loosened to permit an adjustment to be made. It will thus be seen that, after the nuts 60 have been loosened, all of the blades may be shifted lengthwise in the same direction and through equal distances, by the mere turning of the shaft 63. The shaft 53 may be operated in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, there is at each side of the machine a rack bar 65 carried by the beam l8 and extending across the top of and at right angles to the shaft 63; the rack bars meshing with the teeth on the shaft. mesh with pinions 66 on a transverse shaft 61 extending along the rear side of the beam 38. On one end of the shaft 61, easily accessible to an operator standing beside the machine, is a hand wheel 68 for turning the shaft and thus adjusting the blade members of the punches.

Only the lower feed roll 20, of the two that move the sheet A, is positively driven, power and which is illustrated in greater detail in the drawings, further description will be given after the drive for the upper feed rolls has been described in detail.

There remains to be explained only one other piece of mechanism which has to do with the sheet A, alone, namely, the shear mechanism including the blades or cutters 23 and 24. This mechanism is substantially the same as that in common use for cutting transverse strips from the advance end of one of two sheets that are being worked up into a cellular structure. It need only be noted that the beam 25v which carries the movable shear member 24 has enlarged, hub-like ends 69 fitting slidably upon sturdy cylindrical.

posts 10 set at an angle of forty-five degrees and having their central axes lying in vertical planes 7 extending lengthwise of the machine. On each side of the machine is an eccentric rod 12 con-.- nected at its forward, upper end to the corre, sponding hub-like-part 69 of the shears. These rods are associated with eccentrics 13, on the shaft 26, one of which is visible in Fig. 2. Thus, just as the movable member of the punch unit is moved up and down once during each revolution of the shaft 26 so, also, are the shears that cut strips from the sheet A opened and, again closed during each such revolution.

The' mechanisms operating sheet B will now be described.

These rack bars a u e The sheet B enters the machine acrossjatablej operating therewith. The shaft 11, the brackets having the arms 18 and 19, the levers 80 and the springs 82, are substantial counterparts "of the corresponding elements 5, iland I0, 6, and 12 of the trimming means for the sheet A. On one end of the shaft 11, as shown in Fig. 1, there is a gear wheel 83 that meshes with a worm 84 on a shaft 85. The shaft 85 has thereon a hand wheel 86 for turning the same. There may be any desired number of cutting disks of which all or any part thereof may be in use at any one time. Any disk may be held in an idle position in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, each of the compression springs 82 surrounds a rod 81 hinged at one end to the corresponding lever-80 and extending freely through the bracket arm I9. On the arm I9, beside the rod 81, is a movable dog flfl which is adapted to be slipped under a nut or head 89 on the free end of the rod and thereby hold the corresponding slitting disk away from the work. It will also be obvious that the disk-supporting brackets may be adjusted lengthwise of the shaft TI to Vary" the width of the ribbons to be produced. In the arrangement shown, each bracket is slidable lengthwise of the supporting shaft and is adapted to be secured at any point along the shaft by aset screw 90.

The" ribbons C into which the sheet B is cut pass down between a pair of feed rolls" 92 and 93 of which the roll 93 alone is positively driven. The roll 92 is normally pressed against the roll 93 by springs 94. Although these feed rolls, as can be'seen in Fig. 3, as well as the rolls I9 and 20, consist of cylindricalshells surrounding and mounted on shafts, I shall not herein distinguish between a roll and its shaft, since the construc tion is well it IUWn.

The roll 93 has two drives to turn it step by step so that, providing proper controlling means, the drives may be caused to alternate 'with each other and produce different combinations of steps than if only one drive were employed. 'For'example, in a cell case wherein the cells are of equal length. the combined lengths of two corresponding end projections of the strips, or buffers, at opposite ends of the structure 'wouldalways be equal to a cell length if the ribbons were always I ed step by step through steps of one length only. If a buffer is to be of some other length, the step through which the ribbons are fed to provide the buffer material must be lengthened or shortened, as the case may be. I therefore provide two drives each containing a clutch and control one of the clutches that it may be automatically thrown in and out. Assuming that the drive containing the latter clutch will.turn'the feed roll through a greater angle than does the other drive. then, when that clutch is in, the ribbons are fed through a longer step than when that clutch is out; it being, of course, understood that the roll simply overruns the clutch of the one drive whenever the drive that feeds the ribbons through longer steps is active.

The feed roll 93'with the clutches is best shown in Figs. 26 to 28. The reduced and portions .95 and 96 of the feed roll shaft are journalled in the upper ends of the vertical elements of the upper mainframe member or section 2. On the part 95 is any suitable clutch 91 adapted to be driven by a reciprocable rack 98 so as to drive the roll on each downward stroke of the rack and permit the roll to stand still during each upstroke of the rack. Any usual or suitable clutch of this kind, which permits themember driven thereby, in this case the feed roll, to be turned freely at any speed faster-than that at which thewclutch tends to drive it, may be employed. On the other end of the shaft of the roll is the clutch which is to be.

automatically controlled. This clutch comprises a cylindrical housing 99 fixed to the shaft, 9.

driving sleeve I surrounding and rotatable on the end section 96 of the shaft, and clutch dogs I02. The clutch dogs each consist of a little block lying between and pinned to a pair of large rings I03 surrounding the driving sleeve I00 within the clutch housing. The pins I04, which secure the dogs to" the rings, serve as axles upon which the dogs may turn. That part of the driving sleeve that projects into the clutch housing has peripheral gear teeth I05. Each clutch dog has an inner section I06 in the shape of a segment .the surrounding wall of the clutch housing and the housing will be positively driven. When the driving sleeve turns in the opposite direction, the dogs are rotated about their axles to carry their cam faces away from the cylindrical wall of the housing and the latter and the feed roll as a whole will no longer be driven. The driving sleeve I00 is oscillated by a rack bar I08, similar to the rack bar'98, meshing with a pinion I09 fixed to the driving sleeve; the rack bar being held in mesh with the pinion by a suitable keeper I I0. It will be evident that the clutch 91 may be like the clutch just described and be driven in exactly the same way by the rack bar 90.

It will be seen that if the rings I03 be turned slightly in the. clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 27, relatively to the driving sleeve, the clutch dogs will rock in the clockwise direction and recarrying rings I03 is a pm I I6 extending inwardly toward the axis of the clutch into the path of the inclined end of the bar H3. Normally, when the parts are in clutching positions, as in Fig. 27, the pin' and the bar I I3 are positioned relatively to each other, as shown in full lines'in Fig. 28.

When the bar H3 is pushed in, bringing it into the dotted line position in Fig. 28, the pin H6 is pushed sidewise into the dotted line position in Fig. 28; or. in other Words, the rings I03 .are turned through a small angle'in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 27. On the outer end of the sleeve is a loose ring H4 fastened to the outer end of the bar H3 having therein a peripheral groove extending around the same. The ring I I4 is fastened to the bar I I3. The bar may be shifted endwise by suitablemeans engaged in the groove in the ring H4. In the arrangement shown, there is pivotally mounted on the frame 2 a bell crank lever one arm I H of which is forked soas to straddle the ring H4. The arm HI- is provided with suitable means, such as a ring I I8, for example, lying loosely in the groove in the ring H4 to enable the lever to move the ring lengthwise of the feed roll shaft. A spring H9 'acts on the second arm, I20, of the bell crank remains deenergized, the clutch controlled thereby is operative to drive the feed roll and, when and while the solenoid is deenergized, the feed roll cannot be driven by this clutch. The means for controlling the solenoid will be described later.

The means for actuating the rack bar I are illustrated in Figs. 1, and 11. There is a transverse shaft I25 extending across the rnachine near the main shaft 21. On one end of the shaft I25 is fixed a rocker member I26 which has two wide slots or channels, I21 and I28, arranged radial to the axis of the shaft and at an obtuse angle to each other. Slidable in the slot I21 is a block I29 which may be shifted into any desired position along the slot and be held there by a screw device I30. A pin I32 secures the lower end of the rack bar I 08 to the block -I29. The part of the rocker that contains the slot or channel I28 extends across the outer face of a disk I33 fixed on the adjacent end of the main shaft 21. On this disk is a crank pin I34 engaged in the slot I28. Therefore, as the shaft 21 revolves, the rocker is'oscillated and the rack bar is reciprocated. The "length of stroke of the rack bar is determined by the position of the block I29 in its slot or channel and is varied by shifting the block along the channel. The shaft 21, when the machine is in operation, revolves in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 10. It will be seen that the down stroke of the rack bar, from the full line position to the dotted line position, which is the working stroke, is effected during the time the main shaft turns through an angle of one hundred and ten degrees. In other words, the feeding stroke, during which the ribbons move, is a quick one; while the return stroke, during which the ribbons are at rest, is relatively slow and thus aifords ample time for those operations which must be performed while the ribbons are stationary. The shafts 21 and I25have on their ends, at the opposite side of the machine, actuating means for the rack bar 98 that are identical with that for the rack bar I08 just described and corresponding parts of these actuating means are identified in the main views of the drawings by the same reference characters. The two rockers are placed in exactly the same positions angularly of the shaft I25, so that rack bars 98 and I03 move in unison with each other. When the steps through which the ribbons are to be fed are not all of the same length, the blocks I23 in the actuating means for the bars are so set that the bar 98 serves to feed the ribbons through the shorter steps while the longer steps are taken care of by the bar I08.

As heretofore explained, the feed roll 20 of the pair that moves the sheet A is driven step by step by actuating means similar to that just described in connection with the upper feed rolls. As shown in Fig. 1, the feed roll 20 is driven by a 'rack'bar I35 connectedto a rockerdevice I35 associated with a disk I31 on the main shaft 26 in just the same way that the rockers which reciprocate the bars 98 and I08 are associated with the disks I33 on, the shaft 21; the rocker device I 36 being set at such an angle, however, that thesheet A is fed while the ribbons are stationary.

The ribbons, after leaving the upper feed rolls and being twisteto meet the sheet A 'edge to edge, pass througha secondary feeding means and guides'or, holders that register them accuw rately with the slots or notches in the advance those in the lower row at I54.

edge of the sheet A. These devices, together with shear means to sever the ribbons transversely, are carried by an auxiliary rigid frame I40 mounted between the sides of the upper main frame member 2, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The auxiliary frame is movable vertically on rigid guide rods I4I and I42 fixed to the main, frame and effectively holding the auxiliary frame against movements in any direction except up and down. Also, the auxiliary frame has a heavy ear 'or lug I43 fitted slidably on a vertical, rotatable shaft I44. The auxiliary frame is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of two vertical shafts I45, I45 at opposite sides of the machine, these shafts being mounted on the main frame above the auxiliary frame so as to be rotatable while being held against lengthwise movements. The lower ends of the shafts I45 are screwed into the auxiliaryframe, so that the mere act of turning the shafts raises or lowers the auxiliary frame. On the upper end of each shaft I45 is a bevel pinion I46 meshing with a complementary pinion I41 on a transverse shaft I48. On one end of the shaft I48 is a handle or crank I49 for turning the same. Thus, by operating this crank or handle the auxiliary frame may be raised or lowered.

' The details of the mechanisms mounted'on the auxiliary frame are illustrated in Figs. 16 to 25. On the rear part of the auxiliary frame is mounted a motor I5I On the auxiliary frame or forming a part thereof, just below the motor is a transverse elongated gear casing I52 within which 'are two horizontal rows of pinions," those in the upper row being indicated at I53 and The pinions in one row are staggered with respect to those in the other row, and each pinion meshes with two pinions in the opposite row. The shafts of three of the pinions are' extended through the rear wall of the casing, as indicated at I55 and are there provided with sprocket wheels I56; these three pinions being the middle pinion in the upper row and two pinions near the two ends of the lower row. An endless sprocket chain I51 extends from the motor around the three sprocket wheels I55, passing down under the two end wheels and up over the top of the middle wheel.

The forward ends of all of the pinion-supporting shafts project out through the front, wall of the gear casing, as indicated at I58, and each has therein a deep notch or slot I59 cut into the' same through the end face. In front of the gear case, and spaced apart therefrom, is a transverse row of small horizontal auxiliary feed rollers I6I arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine. These rollers are spaced far enough apart to provide room for a similar roller between adjacent rollers. Each auxiliary roller has attached to the rear end a flexible shaft I52, best shown in Fig. 25. Each flexible shaft has at its free end a rigid part I63 from the free end of which projects a tongue I54 adapted to enter the slot I59 in one of the motor-driven shafts I58. To keep the tongue from slipping laterally out of the slot in which it is seated, each flexible shaft has a sleeve or thimble I65 surrounding therigid end section and adapted to be drawn back on the shaft proper to expose the tongue. Each flexible shaft may have a sheathing in the form of a coiled spring I66 which abuts at one end against the thimble or sleeve and tendsconstantly to hold, it in its outermost position, as

' indicated in the upper of the two connections in Fig. 25. The rollers IIiI are mounted between on or forming part of the auxiliary frame.

Cooperating with the fixed rollers I6 I- are similar but loose, removable rollers I69. Each roller I69 is rotatably Supported on the upper end of a fiat. open-ended sheet metal shell III which is hinged at its lower end to the top of a block I21, as indicated at I13. Each block I12 has a narrow passage I'It extending vertically through the same at the base of the shell thereon and parallel with the auxiliary feed rollers.

, There are as many of the blocks I12 as the maximum number of ribbons which it may be desired to work up at any given time. Each of these blocks, as best shown in Figs. 16 and 21, has a forward extension I15 underlying a flat horizontal foot member I16 on the roller-supporting bar IG'I. The member I16 has a long slot I'II extending substantially across the width of the machine. Each block is secured to the member I16 by a bolt I18 extending down through the slot I'Il into the extension I15. In order tokeep the blocks from swinging angularly about the bolts that hold them in place, the frame member H6 is provided with long accurately finished keys or splines I80 lying parallel and on opposite sides of the slot, and the blocks are grooved to fit upon these keys.

Each of the blocks I12 forms one member of a pair of shears, the other member being a fiat blade I19 lying fiat against the bottom face of the block. 'Each of the blades I19 has therein two slots I8I and.I82. One of these slots has a portion extending lengthwise of the blade on one side of a longitudinal line, and a more or less diagonal portion or section extending across said line; whereas the other slot has a longitudinal portion or section. on the opposite side of said line and an inclined section extending therefrom across said line' in parallel relation to the inclined section of the other slot. Pins I83 extend through these slots and into or through the block to hold the blade flat against the under side of the block and yet permit it to move in its own plane. The parts are so proportioned that when the pins are at what may be termed the rear ends of the slots, as indicated in Fig. 20, the cutting edge of the blade lies just beside the passage I'I l in the block. Consequently, a ribbon may be fed down through'this passage without encountering any interference on the part of the movable shearing blade. When the shearing blade is moved so' as to bring the opposite ends of the slots therein toward the pins, the blade is subjected to a swinging motion causing its cutting edge to extend diagonally across the lower end of the passage I'M, as shown in Fig. 19, and then the blade is again caused to straighten out and extend completely across the passage in the block, as shown in Fig. 18. In moving fromthe position indicated in Fig. 20 to that of Fig. 18, a ribbon projecting down through the passage in the block is cut in two along a transverse line.

While the pins I83 may take any suitable form, I have shown them as being plain pins each having at one end a head and near its other end an annular groove I84. A spring plate I85, having notched ends to embrace the protruding ends of the pins, lies on top of the block. The plate may be locked to the pins by washers I86 each having cut therefrom a radial section just wide enough to'permit the reduced neck portion on one of the pins to pass therethrough; the washers being slipped upon the grooved portions of the pins above the notched ends of the spring suitable cross bars or supports IN and I68 fixed plate. Underneath the center of the spring plate is a set screw I81 screwed into the block. By adjusting the set screw, the upward pull of the spring on the pins may be varied, the movable shear blade being at all times yieldingly held against the fiat under face of the block.

The movable shear blades are all operated from a transverse reciprocatory bar I88 having therein a groove I88 extending throughout the length thereof. The forward end of each movable shear blade has a pin I9I projecting therefrom into the groove I89. As will hereinafter be explained, the bar I88, in its movements, travels both in the direction of its length and in a direction longitudinal of the machine,' the resultant path of movement of any point on the bar being diagonal at an angle of about forty-five degrees.

It will, of course, be understood that the various auxiliary feed rollers, passages or channels, and cutting or shear blades must be long enough or wide enough, as the case may be, to accommodate the widest ribbons which it may be desired to work up in the machine.

In using the machine, the desired number of guide blocks are adjusted along the auxiliary frame so as to bring the ribbon-receiving passages therein in the vertical longitudinal planes of the notches in the advance edge of the oncoming horizontal sheet A. In so adjusting the blocks each has its auxiliary feed roller I69 placed between the nearest pair of fixed feed rollers and coupled to one of the motor driven pinion shafts I58. As best shown in Figs. 16 and 17, there are on the transverse frame members IIil and I68 flat springs I92 which may be brought to bear against the roller supports I93 on the sheet metal guides Ill and thus cause the loose roller to be yieldingly pressed against the proper roller of the pair of fixed rollers between which it lies. It will be seen that the hinged connection between each sheet metal guide and its supporting block permits the roller carried by that unit to be lowered down from between two of the fixed rollers by simply moving the block transversely of the machine and thus increasing the distance between the hinge I13 and the space between the two fixed rollers. In the same way, at'the time of adjusting the block to a new position, the sheet metal guide member carried thereby is swung down far enough to clear the fixed auxiliary rollers until the loose roller thereon comes opposite the gap through which the ribbon to be handled by that block can most conveniently be fed, and then the sheet metal guide is swung up as the block continues its transverse movement, and the loose roller is placed-in the selected gap.

The number of cells in the finished product, counting in one direction, is determined by the number of ribbons delivered at the assembly point; but the number of cells, counting crosswise of said direction, depends entirely upon the operation of the shearing means for cutting the I ribbons. In other words, a single cell case may be as long as the length of ribbon which it is possible to feed, the sheet A supplying all of the cross strips that may be needed. Therefore. unless the number of cells counted lengthwise of the strips cut from the ribbons is to remain fixed, means must be provided to cause the ribbonsevering shears to operate after any desired variable number of cross strips have been interlocked with'the ribbons. The means contemplated by the present invention for this purpose will now be described.

The shear actuating bar I88 is driven from the vertical shaft I44 to which reference has heretofore been made. As best shown in Figs. land 3, there is on the shaft I44 a wheel I94, this wheel lying just between the lug or ear I43 on the auxiliary frame and another lug or ear I on this same frame. Therefore, as the auxiliary frame moves up and down, the wheel I94 is carried along with it. As shown in Figs. 30 to 32, the wheel I94 is held against rotation on the shaft I44 by a key i96, so that it must revolve with the shaft while free to slide up and down along the same. The wheel has in the periphery any desired number of seats I91 in any one or all of which may be set a lug or lugs I98. The shear blade actuating bar I88 lies in the plane of the wheel I94 and has one 'end adjacent to the periphery of the latter. On this end of the bar is a roller I99 adapted to be engaged by the lug or lugs as the wheel is rotated. The bar has therein parallel slots 2M extending diagonally to the longitudinal axis of the bar and into these slots extend pins 292 fixed to the auxiliary frame. A spring or springs 293 tends or tend constantly to hold the bar edgewise against the periphery of the wheel. It will thus be seen that as the wheel is revolved, the bar is pushed away against the resistance of the springs by the lug and 'must, perforce, travel in a diagonal direction on a working stroke; and then, after the lug has passed on, the springs will push the bar back through a return stroke.

If, there is only one lug on the wheel I94, the ribbons will be severed once during each revolution of the shaft I44. The particular wheel illustrated has seats for as many as eight lugs. Therefore for each revolution of the shaft there may also be two, four or eight shearing operationsypro'vided the spacing of the cuts is to be uniform. x

The timing of the shears by the wheel I94 is not the only way in which the shearing operation may be variously coordinated with the operations of the other mechanisms. For example, the timing of the shaft E44 itself may be changed in a simple manner. In the arrangement shown, there are on the lower end of this shaft a battery of ratchet wheels which are numbered from 204 to 299, inclusive. The lower wheel 204 has the largest number of teeth and each other wheel contains a smaller number of teeth than does the wheel immediately below the same. Coaxial with the ratchet wheels is a swinging pawl carrier 2II having a vertical round bar 2I2 beside and extending throughout the height of the battery of ratchet wheels. Slidable up and down on this bar is a pawl 2I3 adapted to engage with any one of the ratchet wheels. The several ratchet wheels are spaced apart by intervening disks 2I4 which project far enough beyond the ratchet teeth to serve as barriers that prevent the pawl from accidentally slipping from one ratchet wheel to another.

The swinging pawl carrier. 2 is driven from the main shaft 21. As will be seen from Figs. 4 and 29, there is on the shaft 21 a cam 2I5. The pawl carrier has thereon a toothed segment 2I9. Engaged with the segment is a rack bar 2H slidable lengthwise through a suitable box-like guide 2I9 on one of the side walls of the main frame member I. One end of the rack bar has a roller 2I9 engaged with the periphery of the cam 2I5, and it has, also, a fork 22II straddling the shaft 2'! and keeping thatend from dropping down. The cam-drives the rack bar through working strokes and the return strokes once during each revolution of the main shaft,

and the shaft I44 is turned through a fraction of a revolution, determined by the particular ratchet wheel with which the pawl happens to be engaged, during this same period.

The wheel I94 may be utilized to control the circuit that energizes the solenoid I23. Fastened to a downward extension 221 from the lug I95 on the vertically-movable auxiliary frame I40 is a switch box 228. On top of the box is a horizontally-swinging switch handle 229 having a roller 230 at its free end. On the under side of the wheel I94 may be secured a segmental switchoperating piece or dog 232 so positioned that as it passes the roller 230 it engages therewith and pushes it outwardly. Assuming the switch to be one which tends constantly to take a closed position, it will be seen that the dog 232 serves to open the switch and hold it open for a period of time corresponding to the angular length of the dog. Fig. 33 shows the switch arm in full lines in the position it occupies when the switch is closed; whereas the switch arm and the dog 232 are shown in dotted lines in the positions which they occupy when the switch is open. The dog 232 may be a little curved bar having a flange 233, the curved bar portion being engaged with the periphery of the wheel and the flange underlying the wheel and being secured thereto by screws or other fastenings extending through holes 234 in the flange. The wheel is shown as having in the under side a number of screw holes 235 to receive the holding screws for the switch -operating dog or dogs. It is, of course, obvious that more than one swatch-operating dog may be attached to the wheel and that the angular length of the dogs may be anything desired. Thus in Fig. 36 there is shown a dog 236 whose angular length is more than three hundred degrees. When the dog of Figs. 33' and 35 is employed, the ribbonsC are'fed through a long step only infrequently; whereas, in case such a dog, as shown in Fig. 36, is employed, the majority of the steps will be long ones and short steps will be infrequent. Obviously, any other combination of feeding steps may be obtained by using switch-operating pieces or dogs of still other angular lengths.

I shall now describe the means by which the notches, c, are cut into the rear edges of the ribbons, reference being had particularly to Figures 2, 4, 5, and 12-15 of the drawings.

It will be seen from Fig. 4 that the sheet A passes between a pair of guide plates 23'! and 238. one above the sheet and the other below, just before reaching the shears that cut strips therefrom. The lower plate, 238, extends a short distance under the stationary shear bar or beam 22 and, directly in front of the same, and in the same horizontal plane, is a long saw blade 24d extending crosswise of the machine. This saw blade normally lies behind the ribbons when the latter are fed downward, but is adapted to be moved forward to saw notches in the rear edges Lil of the ribbons. Just in front of the saw are a series of devices that constitute guides for the ribbons and also guides that yieldingiy grip the saw blade while it is cutting into the edges of the ribbons and being withdrawn from the ribbons. 'Each of these combination guides and grippers comprises three long bar-like members two of which, indicated at 24! and 242, lie fiat upon each other and are adapted to be pressed apart by the saw. The third of these members is a fiat bar 243 having one of its broad faces directed toward but spaced apart from corresponding edges of the members 2M and 242 to provide a gap 244 through which one of the ribbons may pass. There is a long slot 245 extending from one end of the bar 243 inwardly to a depth at least as great as the deepest saw cut to be made at any time; this slot being in the plane of the meeting faces of the bars 24i and 242. Itwill thus be seen that while a ribbon isengaged in the gap 244 between the bar 243 and the other two bars, the saw may enter the slot 245 in the bar 243 and between the bars 24! and 242 and thereby cut a notch into the rear edge of the ribbon. The three members of each guiding and gripping device are mounted on a block 246; the bars 242 and 243 being attached at their forward ends to the block so as to be held immovable thereon. The bar 24!, on the other hand, is so held that it acts in the manner of a spring clip. In the arrangement shown, the bar 24l being of spring metal, its forward end is fastened to the blocks by a. single screw 241; the bar being prevented from swinging about this screw by pins 248 and 249 extending up through the same from the underlying bar 242. On the forward pin 249, which is in front of the holding screw, is a thin washer 258 that serves as a spreader between the forward ends of the two bars. When the screw is tightened, the upper bar is stressed and bent slightly, because of the presence of the washer, and the saw-engaging part thereof is yieldingly pressed down on the underlying bar. There are as many of these combination guiding and gripping units as the maximum number of ribbons that it may be desired to employ; and they are mounted on a reeiprocable carrier which moves them into working positions to permit the sawing to be done and then retracts them into idle positions while the sheet A is fed forward and the end thereof is engaged with a set of notches that have just been sawn. This carrier consists of a long casting 252 extending transversely of the machine and provided at its ends with hub-like parts 253, surrounding and slidably fitted on stationary cylindrical guide bars 254; these guide bars being located at opposite sides of and extending longitudinally of the machine. The member 252 has on its upper side two parallel ribs 255. Each of the blocks 246 is grooved on the under side for the reception of these ribs. Each block is held to the carrier by a screw 255 extending up through a slot 251 that extends throughout almost the entire length of the member 252. By reason of this construction the blocks, with their guide and gripping devices, may be adjusted into innumerable different positions transversely of the machine.

The saw is mounted in a suitable holder 260 having at the ends thereof, on opposite sides of the machine, diagonal slots 26L These slots preferably lie at an angle of forty-five degrees to the longitudinal axis of the machine. Stationary pins 262 rise from underlying portions of the The saw and the carrier for the combined guide and gripper units are both driven from a transverse shaft 263 at the front end of the machine. This shaft, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, may be driven from the main shaft 21 by a sprocket chain 259. On the shaft 263, within the hollow base of the machine, are two cam disks 264, each having in one side thereof a continuous cam groove 26%. (See Fig. 1.) Fixed to the member 252 are two connecting rods 266 each having at the front end a fork 251 straddling the shaft 263. The forks on these connecting rods may be similar to the fork 213 on the rod 214 to be hereafter described. On each fork is a cam roller 268 engaged in the cam groove in the corresponding disk 254. As the shaft 263 revolves, the ribbon and saw guide is moved through a working and a return stroke once during each revolution of the shaft 263; the time consumed by each part of the cycle depending upon the shape of the cams.

The shaft 263 has on one end thereof, outside of the machine, a third cam disk, 210, in the outer face of which is a continuous cam groove 21!. (See Fig. 2.) Into this groove extends a cam roller 212 carried by a fork 213 on the forward end of a long connecting rod 214 having at its rear end a toothed section or rack 215; the fork 213 straddling the shaft and preventing the front end of the connecting rod from swinging up and down. The rod 214 extends rearwardly through a keeper 215 that may be a U-shaped member through the free ends of the arms of which a vertical shaft 211 extends. The shaft 211 is mounted in suitable upper and lower bearings 218, on the base member of the machine and has fixed thereon a toothed segment 219 which meshes with the teeth on the connecting rod 214. Fixed to the shaft 211, above the keeper 216, is a laterally-projecting arm 28!) having therein a long slot 28! extending lengthwise thereof. Between the arm 280 and the saw blade holder 26!] is a strut 232 one end of which is connected to the holder by a pin 283 while the other end is connected to the arm by a bolt 284 passing through the slot 28L In order that the strut shall be free to swing about both the pin 283 and the bolt 284, the saw blade holder 260 is preferably made bifurcated at the end to which the strut is attached and the arm 280 is made in fork form. The ends of the strut are therefore embraced by the saw blade holder and by the rocker arm, respectively, and neither the pin 283 nor the bolt 284 can exert any clamping pressure on the strut. However, the bolt 284 may be held fixed at any point along the slot 28I and thus insure that the saw will be driven through variable strokes of predetermined lengths determined by the distance between the bolt 284 and the shaft 211. In other words, by shifting the boltalong the slot 2! the depth of the saw cuts may be varied, but will remain the same as long as the position of the bolt is not changed.

,In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown a transverse rail 285 just in front of the ribbons or the ribbon positions. Such a rail may be provided, if desired, to back up the ribbons while the sheet A is advanced into the notches in the ribbons, al- 

